Yearly Archives: 2013

SOUTHAMPTON — Soon, clear and sunny days will mean savings for the school district.
A solar array under construction on the grounds of School No. 2 and School No. 3 is expected to cut the district’s electricity costs by tens of thousands of dollars every year for more than a decade.

The 554-kilowatt system is projected to save the district $1.05 million in energy costs over a 15-year agreement with Marina Energy and solar provider Ray Angelini Inc.

Under the terms of the agreement, Marina Energy will own the system and sell the electricity to the school district at a discounted rate. Angelini is responsible for designing, constructing and maintaining the system.

School board President Betty Wright called the solar array a “win-win situation for everyone” with the reduction in costs and energy consumption.

“When the system is operational, it will generate approximately 98 percent of the electricity used in School No. 2 and School No. 3, all without impacting the environment,” Wright said.

Workers began construction of the project last month on a tract adjacent to the schools and administration building and expect to finish by the end of the year. When completed, the array will have more than 2,100 solar panels, according to Joe Joyce, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ray Angelini.

“That will generate almost all the electricity the schools use,” Joyce said.

Superintendent Michael Harris said the district will save between $65,000 and $70,000 a year.
“That’s significant for a school district this size,” Harris said. “That’s two or three mobile computer labs or a teacher.”

Stephen Poniatowicz of Marina Energy said the company looks forward to the system being turned on and saving the district money.

“Marina is proud to be a partner with Southampton schools to help drive the cost of energy down,” said Poniatowicz, the company’s vice president and chief operating officer.

Angelini crews last week worked to complete the racks that will hold the solar panels.

Foreman Mike Stauffer said the weather has cooperated and allowed the workers to get a good jump on completing the project.

The system will be the third the company has constructed for a school district in Burlington County. The others are in Medford and Medford Lakes.

“We’ve done them all over,” Stauffer said. “Right now, we have huge projects in the Gloucester Township school system, Gloucester County College, Gloucester Institute of Technology. Those are just a few we have going on at the moment.”

For nearly two years, the district and its partners worked to get all the approvals needed and space on the grid. They even agreed to shift the solar array out of the Vincentown Village Historic District, which has been entered in the state and national registries of historic places.

“Bringing this project to construction has been a long journey,” Joyce said. “It’s a testament to the dedication of the Southampton Board of Education to both save taxpayers money and provide an environmental educational opportunity.”

He credited district officials for “continuing to have the patience to see it through. It took a lot of cool heads.”

Even though the system is expected to be turned on after the first of the year, the project will not be completed until spring, when crews put in some landscaping to buffer the solar array and provide educational opportunities for students and residents.

“The landscaping will include wild grasses, wildflowers and shrubbery,” Harris said. “We are planning on using this area for environmental education classes.”

October 30, 2013 (VINCENTOWN, NJ) – Local and county officials today joined the Southampton Board of Education, solar system owner Marina Energy and solar provider Ray Angelini, Inc. (RAI) to celebrate the groundbreaking of a 554 kW solar photovoltaic system on the grounds of School #2 and School #3.

Superintendent Michael Harris and School Board President Betty Wright joined with executives from Marina Energy, RAI, RYBREAD Architects, and Board of Education members, Russell Hann, Joseph Caputo, Jeffery Hicks and Suzanne Phillips to mark the start of the solar project which, over 15 years, is projected to save Southampton taxpayers $1,056,000 with zero taxpayer dollars used for the construction or operation of the system. Marina Energy will own the system and sell the electricity to the school district at a discounted rate for 15 years.

“This is yet another historic day in Southampton. Even the rain couldn’t dampen our spirits today for the ground breaking of the Solar Project, although this project has taken over two years to begin, I am thrilled that it has finally come to fruition. This is a win win situation for everyone, not only will we be saving energy, we will recognize a cost savings of approximately one million dollars over the next fifteen years. We will also reap the benefit of an outdoor classroom experience with the planting of the buffering zone that will enhance the area.., When the solar PV system is operational, it will generate approximately 98% of the electricity used in School #2 and School #3, all without impacting our environment.” said Board of Education President, Wright.

Superintendent Harris stated “Our solar project will provide an excellent educational experience for our students and residents alike as a result of the landscaping that will occur as part of the buffering plan for the solar ground array. The landscaping will include wild grasses, wildflowers and shrubbery.We are planning on using this area for environmental education classes.”

“Marina is proud to be a partner with Southampton Schools to help drive the cost of energy down,” said Stephen Poniatowicz, Sr. VP & COO, Marina Energy.

“Bringing this project to construction has been a long journey,” commented Joe Joyce, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, RAI. “We’re happy to be chosen to design and build it. It is a testament to the dedication of the Southampton Board of Education to both save taxpayers money and provide an environmental educational opportunity.”

About Ray Angelini, Inc.Ray Angelini, Inc. (RAI®) is a commercial electrical contracting firm and solar provider. Founded in 1974 by Raymond J. Angelini, RAI provides services for all the electrical needs of commercial clients, including: power systems testing and commissioning; industrial electric services and special products design; renewable energy services; energy efficiency programs; solar energy system preventive maintenance programs; and communications and cellular tower construction/maintenance, communications radios/antennas, and structured cabling. To learn more about RAI or to schedule a tour of our campus and solar arrays, visit www.raiservices.com or call the Sewell, New Jersey-based headquarters at 856228-5566.

About Marina Energy
Marina Energy, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries (NYSE: SJI), specializes in the design, construction and operation of energy projects for commercial and industrial markets. Marina’s projects include thermal, cogeneration, solar and landfill gas-to-electric facilities. Among Marina’s largest projects is the Marina Thermal Plant that serves Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, NJ. For more information about SJI and its subsidiaries, visit www.sjindustries.com.

About RYBREAD Architects
The Power Purchase Agreement RFP for the Southampton BOE was written by Angelo P. Butera, AIA, LEED Accredited Professional, and Sustainability Partner of the firm RYEBREAD (Regan Young England Butera, Referendums, Engineering, Architecture, Design), in conjunction with the District’s law firm, Capehart & Scatchard. RYEBREAD has been the Southampton Architect-of-Record since 1994, and has been responsible for numerous BOE capital projects, including School #2, reroofing, security systems, and other facility upgrades. The firm has been recognized as “South Jersey’s Best Architects” by SJ Biz magazine for the past three years, and “Burlington County’s Best Architects” by the Burlington County Times every year since 1998.

About Taylor Design Group, Inc.
Community Planning.Landscape Architecture Taylor Design Group is an award winning Community Planning and Landscape Architecture firm located in Mount Laurel, NJ. TDG provides creative solutions and the highest level of professional service to our clients throughout the State. Main areas of expertise of the firm include: Park Planning & Design, Streetscape Design, Redevelopment & Downtown Revitalization Plans, Planning and Zoning Board Consulting.

Much has been written about a recent fire at a warehouse in Burlington County, NJ. In particular, the fact that the roof was covered with solar panels and its impact on firefighters’ abilities to fight that fire. While Ray Angelini, Inc. (RAI) did not design or install that particular solar energy system, we have installed many other similar systems. We believe it is incumbent on the solar industry to help the fire service community with education around this alternative energy technology. Hence, RAI is committed to working with authorities to help them understand the unique mechanics of a solar energy system, so that in the event of a fire, they can do their jobs safely and with confidence.

The analysis into that fire is ongoing, but the bottom line is, with a good plan and training this fire or any fire can be successfully fought.

As a leading commercial solar PV design, construction and maintenance company and a major part of the solar industry in New Jersey, RAI is reaching out to the firefighting community statewide and offering to assist in training their members in understanding the unique mechanics of solar energy systems. In fact, we’ve already completed training in a few townships. We count several firefighters among our team members. Their combined backgrounds as firefighters and solar PV engineers enable a deep understanding of the issues, technologies and cultures that are involved.

Planning and training. That’s the solution. We can help. Call us at 856.228.5566.

Remember the old New Jersey Tourism commercials where former Governor Tom Kean used to recite the slogan, “New Jersey and you…perfect together?” Well, in 2013 here in New Jersey, there’s a pretty good partnership between the value of renewable energy (solar PV) and the value of energy efficiency.

We look at it the following way:

The least costly energy (to your budget and to the environment) is energy you don’t use. There are programs available through the NJ Clean Energy Program that offer incentives for you to replace old, energy-inefficient systems with modern, highly efficient systems. We can help guide you through the maze of programs, incentives and products.

For your remaining energy requirements, nothing beats renewables. New Jersey once again has a strong environment for solar. Investments you make in solar will produce returns for you for over 25 years, so take a longer term view of things. You’ll see the value – not only in budget savings but also to the environment. And telling everyone what you’re doing to help preserve our environment is also good business.

Many of us while growing up were told something to this effect by our parents… ”don’t just sit there and complain…go do something about it.” Apply that to the cost of energy here in New Jersey.

August 23, 2013. DEPTFORD TWP. — Gloucester County College and the Gloucester County Institute of Technology will be the main beneficiaries of a new solar energy project that was announced by the county freeholders Thursday.

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held at the edge of a 12-acre field adjacent to the Gloucester County College parking lot, which will be the location of a solar field generating 3.7 million kilowatt hours of energy each year when construction is completed in December.
In addition to the GCC project, a 603 kilowatt hour per year roof system is being installed on the roof at GCIT.

“This project is so simple … and it’s so elegant at the same time,” Freeholder Lyman Barnes said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “It creates some jobs. It keeps people working. It saves money, it saves the environment and it promotes education. I can’t think of a more perfect mix of what we want to put together in a project.”

The project is being funded by Marina Energy — which will be able to take advantage of federal tax energy credits and Solar Renewable Energy Certificates — while it provides energy resources for the two educational establishments.

The schools will own their solar panel systems after 15 years for $1 and in the interim, they are expected to save about $190,000 per year on energy costs.

“This is not going to cost the taxpayers of Gloucester County a cent. It’s not going to cost the Institute of Technology or the college a cent and in a 15-year period we will realize about $2.1 million in energy cost savings,” said Freeholder Director Bob Damminger.

“It makes sense and it works,” added State Senate President Steve Sweeney. “This is what we’re supposed to be doing — creating economic development, saving taxpayer money … This is something that’s real.”

Gloucester County College is planning to utilize the solar system as an educational tool as well as a cost-saving one.

The school’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program will be using the system to give its students a chance to work hands-on with them, calculating savings, studying design and learning about a growing part of the engineering field — green energy.

“This represents an outstanding opportunity to our students to become engaged in the fields on environmental science, environmental engineering, sustainability and several other go-green initiatives,” said Brenden Rickards, the Dean of GCC’s STEM program. “We look forward to fully utilizing these solar fields for many outstanding education opportunities.”

Construction is expected to begin next week and to be completed by the end of the year.

DEPTFORD TWP, NJ (August 01, 2013)—Over the last six years, the solar array on the roof tops of the equipment storage building and offices of Ray Angelini, Inc. (RAI) here has generated clean electricity, day in and day out, summer and winter, year after year, and recently reached a milestone by generating over one million kilowatt hours of electricity—carbon free.
A regional leader in the renewable energy and electrical contracting fields—NJBIZ magazine recently named RAI as the largest solar provider in NJ—RAI Founder and President Ray Angelini is not only a businessman, but also an environmentalist.

“Striving to reduce negative impacts on our environment has been a personal goal for me,” said RAI President Ray Angelini. “So helping other commercial business owners reduce their carbon footprint makes a whole lot of sense.”

Angelini established RAI in 1974 as an electrical contracting firm. In 2004, contemplating his firm’s potential role in the region’s emerging solar industry, Angelini believed that if he was to sell clients a system that used solar as a renewable energy source, he, too, should be an owner of a solar array. He invested over $1 million and constructed the system. Today, potential solar clients tour RAI facilities to view the array and learn about the system.

“We provide solutions not only for your electrical needs, but also for your energy needs,” says Angelini. In 2008, RAI built the largest single-roof power array installation in the country at the time for the Atlantic City Convention Center. More recently, RAI designed, built, and installed solar arrays for Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ; CHOP, Philadelphia, PA; Lincoln Financial Field—home of the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams Sonoma, South Brunswick, NJ; the Government Services Administration’s (GSA) Veteran’s Administration Center, Philadelphia, PA; Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, PA; the headquarters of glass manufacturer J.E. Berkowitz LP, Pedricktown, NJ; Gloucester County College, Sewell, NJ; and many public school systems across the region.

For years, the solar array at RAI produced all of the electricity required to operate the company’s headquarters. However, business growth led to the need for additional buildings at the headquarters location and increased electricity usage. Therefore, Angelini plans to build another solar rooftop array on one of the additions.

To learn more about Ray Angelini, Inc., please visit www.raiservices.com or call the Sewell, NJ headquarters at 856-228-5566.

SEWELL, NJ (July 9, 2013)—Ray Angelini, Inc. (RAI) recently received the Governor’s Annual Occupational Safety and Health Award for achievement in the prevention of occupational injuries, specifically the Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development Award given for achieving 1,161,112 consecutive hours of work without a disabling injury from January 2010 through December 2012.

“I am proud to accept the Governor’s award on behalf of RAI employees,” said Jim Specht, Safety Director, RAI. “We pride ourselves in consistently educating and communicating safety as our number one priority, and this award is recognition of everyone’s relentless work, upholding the highest standards for safety.”

The 85rd annual awards banquet, sponsored by South Jersey Industrial Safety Council in cooperation with New Jersey Department of Labor, was held on May 8, 2013 at Auletto Caterers, Almonesson, NJ.

RAI provides electrical contracting and electrical-related services to public and private clients in NJ, PA, DE and MD in various industries, including data centers, schools, universities, government, industrial plants, medical facilities, transit and more. Originally established by Ray Angelini in 1974 as an electrical contracting company, today RAI is a full service electrical contracting, power systems testing, and design build solar energy company.

To learn more about Ray Angelini, Inc., visit www.raiservices.com or call the Sewell, NJ-based headquarters at 856-228-5566.

Gloucester Township Mayor, David Mayer speaks at the kick off for the solar energy efficiency project in front of the Loring Flemming Elementary School in Blackwood, Wednesday, June 26, 2013. (Staff Photo by Calista Condo/South Jersey Times)

Joe Joyce, the Senior Vice President for Ray Angelini, Inc. speaks about being part of the largest solar project in New Jersey during the Gloucester Township kick off for the solar energy efficiency project at Loring Flemming Elementary School in Blackwood on Tuesday. (Staff Photo by Calista Condo/South Jersey Times)

GLOUCESTER TWP. — Boasting what they described as one of the largest public shared service agreements in the state, officials on Wednesday announced a $20 million solar project that will cover not just the township, but also two school districts. The project, which is slated for completion at the end of the year, will provide power to the Gloucester Township public works building as well as 10 schools across the Gloucester and Black Horse Pike Regional school districts. According to Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer, the project will save more than $4 million in energy costs over the next 15 years. “Our township has become a state and national leader in clean renewable energy and energy efficiency,” said Mayer. “The installation of these solar panels — along with some of our energy efficiency projects at 11 sites and 10 schools — will continue to save the township substantial energy costs and reduce our carbon footprint.”

The estimated total amount of energy to be generated by the project’s 21,000 solar panels is six megawatts, which officials said is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of approximately 850 homes. That much power would “avoid the creation of 4,200 tons of carbon dioxide,” said Mayer. Ray Angelini Inc. (RAI), will oversee construction, with the $20 million investment provided by Marina Energy, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries, based in Folsom. Marina Energy will own the solar panels and sell the power to the township and school districts at a discount, according to Mayer. According to Mayer representatives from RAI, the project will produce up to 350 jobs during its lifetime. “There have been similar projects before this, but never to the scope and scale as this project,” said Joe Joyce, senior vice president of sales and marketing for RAI. “This will be one of the largest such projects in the public sector in New Jersey.” –Contact Jason Laday at 856-686-3628 or jladay@southjerseymedia.com.

The solar business continues to evolve. We’re starting to see some really interesting technologies that offer great promise. RAI has long been at the forefront of bringing innovative energy technologies to our customers. We explore those things that we think might enable us to enhance the value we bring.

Lately, we’ve been involved with some projects where new energy storage technology is involved. Early returns show real promise. Of course, any new technology needs to quickly evolve to meet the needs of the customer and we’re helping guide that, working hand in hand with the developers and manufacturers of that technology.

We’re now seeing RFPs for renewable energy projects that include not only solar, but also wind, storage, sophisticated software systems, fuel cells and a whole host of other technologies.

We commit to continuing to enthusiastically and responsibly explore promising technologies. The innovation in the energy business is exciting…we’re pleased to be a part of it. If you’d like to learn more, please give us a call.